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Bebop Spoken There

Sullivan Fortner: ''I always judge it by the bass player: If the bass player is happy, it's going to be a good night". (DownBeat, February 2025).

The Things They Say!

This is a good opportunity to say thanks to BSH for their support of the jazz scene in the North East (and beyond) - it's no exaggeration to say that if it wasn't for them many, many fine musicians, bands and projects across a huge cross section of jazz wouldn't be getting reviewed at all, because we're in the "desolate"(!) North. (M & SSBB on F/book 23/12/24)

Postage

17755 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 76 of them this year alone and, so far, 1 this month (Feb.1).

From This Moment On ...

February 2025

Sat 08: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 12:30-2:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 08: Jason Isaacs @ Seaburn STACK, Seaburn. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 08: Milne Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 08: Lewis Watson Quartet @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 7:30pm. £15.00. at the door; £14.35. (inc £0.35 bf) online, in advance.
Sat 08: Anth Purdy @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. ‘Swing Jazz Guitar’.
Sat 08: NUJO Jazz Jam @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A Newcastle University Jazz Orchestra event. All welcome.

Sun 09: Glenn Miller & Big Band Spectacular @ The Forum, Billingham. 3:00pm.
Sun 09: The New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 09: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 09: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 09: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 09: Tom Remon & Mark Williams @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 09: Rod Oughton’s Tomorrow’s New Quartet with Ben van Helder @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Line-up inc. Deschanel Gordon.
Sun 09: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

Mon 10: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 11: Steve Summers Quintet @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm.

Wed 12: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 12: Jam session @ The Tannery, Gilesgate, Hexham. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.
Wed 12: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 12: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 13: Student Performances @ King’s Hall, Newcastle University. 4:00pm. Free. Inc. Olly Styles (tenor sax).
Thu 13: MOBO Awards Fringe 2025: Artist Showcase @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:00pm. Free (ticketed). Line-up inc. Hannabiell & Midnight Blue.
Thu 13: Indigo Jazz Voices @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00.

Reviewers wanted

Whilst BSH attempts to cover as many gigs, festivals and albums as possible, to make the site even more comprehensive we need more 'boots on the ground' to cover the albums seeking review - a large percentage of which never get heard - report on gigs or just to air your views on anything jazz related. Interested? then please get in touch. Contact details are on the blog. Look forward to hearing from you. Lance

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

In The Round With Phronesis @ Sage Gateshead May 27.

Phronesis: Jasper Hoiby (double bass), Ivo Neame (piano) & Anton Eger (drums)
(Review by Russell)
Jasper Hoiby’s Phronesis goes from strength to strength. Touring the new CD Life to Everything, the trio stopped off at Sage Gateshead to play an ‘in the round’ gig to an enthusiastic Hall Two audience. Double bassist Hoiby appeared in good fettle, smiling, sharing a joke and spontaneously thanking Sage Gateshead’s lighting technicians for doing such a good job on the night.

The CD, the fifth release since the trio’s formation in 2005, is a live recording of last year’s London Jazz Festival appearance. Phronesis in concert reaffirms the view that Hoiby, pianist Ivo Neame and Swedish drummer Anton Eger are best heard ‘live’. A democratic working unit, the musicians’ frequent eye contact indicated approval of a nuanced reshaping of a familiar phrase or shift in tempo. Eger’s kit set-up (an atypical arrangement) no doubt occupied the thoughts of drum heads in the audience while the rest of us simply sat in awe observing a percussion master at work. Hoiby and Neame couldn’t find a more musical drummer in a month of Sundays, making the trio a true partnership of equals. A first long set – We played way too long said Hoiby during the second set – featured material from the new release including Deep Space Dance and Wings to the Mind. Highlights of the set and indeed the entire concert were Behind Bars (scorching stuff) and a lazily swinging Eight Hours. A truncated second set heard the amazing Eger on Happy Notes and the trio’s unity of purpose on Urban Control and Fraternal. The intimate audience enjoyed the performance and it would appear the Phronesis boys did too!      
Russell.

2 comments :

Hugh said...

Agreed.

Anton was something else to watch!

Could have done with a bit more pianistic exuberance we felt - we were just waiting for Ivo to get really going - it didn't come. An excellent gig all round (ha, ha! though.

Russell said...

I agree Hugh, Ivo could have done more.

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